I (Clare) was doing some reading about blogs. I believe that blogging is a different genre of writing. A blog of 200 words with a graphic and a hyperlink requires a different skill set than writing a 2,000 word essay. As blogs become more commonplace there is a growing number of resources on writing effective blogs. For example on the site How To Make My Blog http://howtomakemyblog.com/10-elements-of-style-of-blog-post-writing/ 10 characteristics of effective blogs are identified:

* work from a suitable design;
* use paragraphs;
* revise and rewrite;
* omit needless words;
* use definite specific concrete language;
* be clear;
* use orthodox spelling;
* avoid fancy words;
* and do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.

This list reveals that blogging requires particular literacy skills. For me, one of the key features of blogging is that it encourages writers to think carefully about their audience. What do they want to express and why is it important to them? This level of introspection requires reflection and careful writing. Since readers may be from anywhere in the world our writing extends far beyond the classroom teacher or fellow students. This makes blogging far more authentic and powerful than the traditional essay read only by the teacher.